A Convenient Defense

A central idea in our Constitution is that of keeping government, whether national, state, or local, accountable to the people. That includes the fiscal responsibility which elected officials have toward tax payers.

Floresville, Texas has recently had some controversy regarding the city’s financial records and its accountability to citizens.

The local newspaper, the Wilson County News, also investigated and reported on the accounting problem, and published several articles challenging the validity of figures contained within the budget, specifically as they relate to actual sales-tax proceeds received from the state comptroller’s office.

The recall failed because they did not acquire the necessary 500 signatures to prompt a special election. It took a law suit for the city to admit fiscal and accounting problems. The law suit found that city budget documents were “riddled with errors,” some of them in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and demanded they be corrected. The law suit was dropped when the city made the changes.

The action by citizens forced the city (public servants) to correct longstanding budget errors because, and by, community involvement, including good responsible reporting.

However, the other half of the story is also interesting. The mayor told the San Antonio Express that the outcome is a “vindication of city leadership”.

He said “we knew all along that the people liked the progress here. The majority support what is happening in Floresville.” He accused Miller of being an “outsider”, and blamed a faulty computer program for the fiscal and accounting mistakes. Even more ironic was Mayor Tejeda’s claim that the controversy tarnished the city’s image.

Finally, some defenders of the city hinted “racism” was involved. The mayor and all five city council members of Floresville are Hispanic. But because an Anglo questioned them, and because the news reporter was an African American, some people claim the real issue is was racism not faulty accounting.

When Hispanics dominate (100%) a community’s political leadership, where is the racism? According to NALEO, a national Hispanic organization, in 2010 there were 2,459 Hispanic elected officials in Texas. That is hardly a sign of discrimination.

The controversy was a city management problem, and the mayor and city council should be upset with the city manager, not the citizens.

Racism cannot be used as a defense for an exposed and clear problem. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have used racism to defend of President Obama, regardless of obvious failure of his policies. If minorities want to progress, they must do it individually on their own merits, and be prepare to accept criticism, and change when necessary. This is particularly important if they are “public servants”. If Obama, the city leaders of Floresville, or any other minority public servants officials cannot stand the heat, they should get of kitchen.